Lovely Sips

I am currently sipping one of the best cups of coffee I have had in a long time. The sun is shining, the sky is the perfect shade of blue and I'm surrounded by green while enjoying the birds at our porch feeder. I'm quite certain this lovely ambiance helps, but I think it's simply that I finally got into this whole pour-over thing. I will be forever grateful to the helpful coffee geek I spoke to yesterday at Herman's Boy for recommending the French Roast Indian Malabaar and for the great tips on how to make it perfectly in my new pour-over coffeemaker. Seriously, if you are a coffee fan, or even more of a coffee snob like me, please find your way to Herman's Boy Coffee Ranch in Rockford. The people really know their stuff and love to share.

Anyway, while enjoying deliciousness, I decided it might be interesting to delve into coffee's possible health benefits and maybe mix it up with a few tea facts as well.

According to Michael Sands in his blog on www.dermstore.com, both coffee and tea have their own unique set of health benefits for skin health. Both contain antioxidants. When ingested or absorbed through the skin, antioxidants are said to protect against free radicals (unstable molecules that have been linked to everything from cancer to cataracts). Tea contains catechins, a class of flavonoids acting as antioxidants. They have been shown to naturally reduce inflammation, improve blood circulation and combat free radicals. Those are the same free radicals that cause your skin to age, so green tea can actually help you keep your skin looking bright and fresh.

While tea tends to get most of the credit, coffee also contains plenty of antioxidants. The ones found in coffee are known as phenolic acids. They are a group of antioxidants that increase resistance of LDL to oxidation, thus reducing your risk of heart disease (as it's not just the presence of the bad LDL cholesterol that causes heart disease, but the oxidation of it).

Tea is one of the most widely consumed drinks in the world and is also one of the most versatile drinks for improving your personal wellness. Multiple studies suggest that green tea may be effective at preventing Alzheimer's, as well as reducing the risk of breast cancer in women. However, the tannins in tea may make it more difficult to absorb iron - so you may want to consider an iron supplement or consuming tea in between meals (as opposed to with your meal) if you are anemic or iron deficient. The tannins and caffeine in tea can also stain your teeth and dry out your mouth, so be sure to drink plenty of water and brush your teeth shortly after finishing.

Coffee's benefits reach beyond that extra push to help you get through a busy work day. According to a study in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, coffee can also protect against diseases such as type two diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver and neurodigestive diseases. On the flip side, coffee may also inhibit iron absorption, dry out your mouth and stain your teeth, so the same considerations for tea apply to coffee as well.

So, in terms of antioxidants, caffeine content, general health and skin care, both coffee and tea

have an impressive list of benefits. The choice is absolutely yours. If you are looking for an extra jolt of caffeine, coffee may be the better choice. Otherwise, both are good for your complexion and overall health. My general rule of thumb, is coffee in the morning and tea throughout the rest of the day. Herman's Boy has some excellent loose tea options, as well. Just sayin'.

Happy weekend. Take care and be kind to yourself, yeah?